Panaji is so different as compared to other Indian state capitals that if one was led into it blindfolded, one would hardly figure out where he/she was. When we finally got into the city after the long journey, I almost thought that we had reached Malacca (another Portuguese colony in Asia) if not for the Indians walking along the streets. The architecture in Panaji bare more Portuguese flavour than the typical British design that are so common in India. Afterall, the Portuguese were here in this tiny (and also the most hippy) state of India till 1961 before the union troops marched in and ended almost 400 years of colonial rule.

After lunch, we did a quick walk around this city and visited a couple of churches. One important observation made was that Panaji lacks the usual bustling (or choking) liveliness that most Indian cities possessed (i.e. I don't recall seeing any autos plying around). It may be due to the Sat afternoon where most of the shops were closed. Nevertheless, to dispute or discredit the unique impression Goa gave is grossly unjustifiable.

We drove to Old Goa (9kms away from Panaji) and realised it was a quieter city than Panaji. Being replaced by Panaji as the state capital of Goa in 1843, time seems to have stop here with the various churches built as early as the 14th century. This will be a neat location to spend a day for some decent exploring and to escape the beach if one got sick of it.

On the road for 14 hours (!), we decided to head for Anjuna. At 1 of the junctions, the driver asked if he should turn left when I just saw a signboard signaling 12 more kilometers straight before we hit our destination. He was clearly fatigued and so were we; I seem to hear a tingling sound in my ear - the beach and a cold Kingfisher calling out for me to come back "home".